Chicken Poop and Rosy Cheeks
by luckykitten70
Summary: Ame agrees to help an especially cute veterinarian track down a wolf. This isn't going to end well, is it?
1. Chapter 1

Ame awoke to loud alarm calls and the dry rustle of beating wings. He rose to his paws silently, muscles tense. He could feel the vibration of many deer pounding against the soft earth. Ame inhaled deeply, sifting through the many scents. He inhaled deeper. There. The smell of excitement and alcohol, arrogance and sweat. Human. He turned his head toward the scent, jaws parted slightly to better taste the air. The man was just a few miles ahead, trampling through the undergrowth. Ame took off, taking a longer path that allowed him to circle around the man undetected. He was closer now, and more scents rolled off of the man. Beef jerky. Metal and smoke.

Ame remained hidden in the shadows, closing the distance between them. He could see the man now. Young and stocky, swaddled by a heavy camouflage coat. The fur along Ame's back bristled. This human was trespassing. In Ame's forest. The low growl in his throat grew stronger. The man paused for a moment, scanning the trees around him. Ame was a coiled spring. The man raised his gun, aiming. Ame lunged, teeth bared. The man stumbled back. Inches separating them. Inches separating life and death.

Ame froze. The pulsing heat of the man's throat. The frenzied hammer of his heart. The terror in his eyes. Eyes that conjured memories of people Ame had once known.

The man pulled the trigger. Ame threw himself sideways, his back leg exploding in pain. He launched himself at the man's arm, teeth sinking through the coat and into soft flesh. The man screamed, desperately backpedaling. Ame released his arm, reaching for the gun. The man tumbled backwards, head hitting the ground. He was out instantly.

Ame stood over him, panting hard. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like liquid nitrogen, dousing the fire in his burning leg. He turned, tail lashing behind him, and slowly began walking away. He paused. He took another look at the man, eyes lingering on the oozing wound on his arm. He looked up at the forest. He looked back at the man. He looked back up at the forest. He looked at the man again. He sighed. Grabbing him by his hood, he awkwardly slung the man over his back. Surely the man had friends nearby. Ame sniffed the air once more. Bingo.

~oOo~

The sun was now low in the sky, and Ame was finding it more and more difficult to keep walking. His leg had stopped bleeding, but it hurt like hell. He found the man's friends camped out along the edge of the forest. Their tent was lit inside like a lantern. Walking into the tent was a bad idea. A really bad idea...for a wolf. Ame inwardly groaned.

~oOo~

Three pairs of wide eyes stared up at the naked man half carrying, half dragging their unconscious friend into the tent.

Ame glared at them, dropping the man at their feet. "Found him in the forest."

The men continued to stare.

Ame reached down, grabbing a crumpled shirt and shorts. "I'm taking these." He walked out of the tent, slipping the clothes on. They were too short and smelled like shit, but hey, he didn't smell like roses either.

His leg was starting to bleed again, and his forest felt so far away. There was a little town not far from here. He staggered down the hill, ignoring the men calling after him. Yes, he would go to town. Watch out, here comes the big bad wolf. Fuck, did he really just say that to himself?

~oOo~

Netflix and leftover Chinese food. She was excited to go home to reruns and cold, greasy noodles. That's what her life had come to. Moving to this sleepy little town definitely hadn't helped her already pathetic social life. At least she couldn't complain about business— well, besides the fact that half of her patients were old chickens with beady little eyes.

She stepped outside and locked the door, closing her veterinary clinic for the night.

"Hey."

She jumped, dropping her keys. She turned to face a tall man with disheveled hair.

"Sorry," he said, reaching for her keys.

She snatched them back a little too quickly from his outstretched hand.

He stared at her.

"Um, er, no problem," she said, sticking her keys into her purse. "Can I help you with, uh, with...something?" Smooth.

"Actually, yeah." He pointed to his leg.

It was then that she noticed the dripping blood. And the short shorts. Yikes. "What happened?"

"Hunting accident," he said, looking up at the _Veterinarian_ sign and chuckling.

She stepped forward to take a closer look at his leg. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"No."

"What, why?" she gestured at his leg with both hands. "You need a doctor!"

He said nothing.

She fished her phone out of her purse. "I'm calling the—"

"You're a doctor, right?"

"An _animal_ doctor."

He gave her a crooked smile. "Good enough for me."

"You can't be serious," she said, eyes narrowed.

He smiled wider.

"This is insane." She raised the phone to her ear.

"Help me." He guided her hand away from her ear. "Please."

Go inside alone with a strange man? She had watched enough murder mysteries to know that was a bad idea. But there was something about this guy...and his big brown puppy eyes.

"Pretty please?" That stupid crooked grin again.

"Fine, okay. I'll see what I can do." Were murderers always this cute? She unlocked the clinic door. At least this patient wasn't a chicken.

~oOo~

He was a wolf. He'd always felt confident about that. But this woman, currently digging a bullet out of his thigh, had him feeling a little unsure. Was it the way the tip of her tongue peeked out between her lips as she concentrated, or the way her hair smelled like daisies and cat fur, lilacs and chicken poop? Something, something he couldn't put a finger (it was nice to have fingers again) on. Something blurry he couldn't bring into focus.

Sharp pain, burning cold. "Fuck."

She triumphantly held up her tweezers, bullet clamped tight. "Got it!"

"Fuck." It still burned.

She wiped away the blood. "I still gotta stitch you up."

Ame grimaced.

"Alright, this is going to sting, but the worst is over." She closed the wound with a practiced hand. "You really lucked out. The bullet just missed your artery."

Ame looked at his leg with wide eyes.

"And that's it! Just give it some time to heal, and you'll be golden." She took his hand, helping him up off of the examining table.

"I can't thank you if I don't know your name," he said, still holding her hand.

"Oh, right." Her cheeks grew pink. "Emi."

"Thank you, Emi."

"No problem, uh…"

"Ame."

"Ame," she repeated.

They continued to stand there, both silent.

Emi pulled her hand back. "So, um, are you from around here?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I just moved here last year." She shrugged. "Gives me a chance to work on my own research, too."

"What kind of research?"

"I study wolves. I'm interested in diseases that dogs transmit to wolves, and vice versa."

Ame smiled. If only she knew...

"You know, I've never seen you in town before."

Ame shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I live in the forest."

"Alone?" She said, eyebrows raised.

Ame nodded.

"Wow. That must get really lonely sometimes."

Ame's face was serious. "Being alone and being lonely are two different things."

"That's what I keep telling myself, but it isn't working." Emi laughed.

Ame smiled. Maybe he just hadn't realized how lonely he was until now.

"Let me ask you another question. It's really serious," she said, pausing.

Ame's body tensed.

"What's with the outfit?"

Ame looked down at his stolen clothing, laughing. "It was either this or nothing at all."

For some reason Ame couldn't understand, Emi turned a deeper shade of pink. "You know, it's uh, it's getting late, but you should, uh, you should, come back to the clinic tomorrow." She looked away, rubbing her arm. "Yeah. Come back tomorrow and I'll check on your...your leg! Yeah, your leg."

She was so flustered and so pink and smelled so nice, and Ame couldn't stop thinking about how cute she was. When had he ever described anything as cute? Wolves didn't care about cute. And yet here he was, not as a wolf, but as a man, standing in front of a woman, marveling at just how cute she was. Damn, he had it bad. He needed to go kill something. Maybe a rabbit.

"Ame?"

He smiled again. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

 **Chapter 2 will be up next week!**


	2. Chapter 2

Ame walked up to the old farmhouse he had passed by last night. A help wanted sign promising a room in exchange for work was hammered into the front lawn. He knocked twice, waiting. The morning air was already sticky and thick, promising a hot day ahead. Ame took a deep breath, smelling fresh laundry, yesterday's dinner, and chicken poop. What was with this town and chicken poop? The door opened.

"Good morning," said a birdlike old woman.

"Hi," Ame said, turning to point at the sign. "I'm interested in the job."

The woman smiled. "Oh, wonderful! I need so much help around the farm. Especially with the chickens." He smile faltered. "Ever since my husband died...well, it's all just felt like too much."

Ame nodded. What did humans say to each other in these situations?

"A strong young man like you is just what I need."

Ame nodded again, unsure of what to say.

"I can't pay you much, but I can offer you my spare room." Her smile returned. "And I should mention that I'm the best cook in town."

"Perfect," he smiled, offering her his hand. "Ame, by the way."

"Mrs. Suzuki." She shook his hand. "Can you start today? I've been looking for help for quite some time, and there's so much work to be done."

"Uh, yeah. I can start right now." Were jobs always this easy to come by?

"Even better! Here, let me show you your room first," she said, disappearing into the house.

He followed her up the stairs and into a stuffy room with a closet half-filled with old clothes. He hadn't planned on staying in town. But his encounter with Emi last night had convinced him otherwise. He'd stick around a little longer, if only for a few days. And if he was going to try to be human, he needed a place to sleep. And a shower. Definitely a shower.

"You're welcome to use anything in the room," she said. "Make yourself at home!"

"Thank you."

"Come down whenever you're ready, and I'll show you the chickens," she said, heading back down the stairs.

Ame grinned. She was entrusting her chickens to a wolf.

~oOo~

Dogs were her favorite patients. Like this guy, for example. A fluffy mutt with a round little button nose and an always wagging tail. The look of gratitude in his big brown eyes almost made up for the fact that he had peed all over her sweater (her _favorite_ sweater). Big brown eyes that reminded her of a certain someone...she shook her head. Bad Emi. Focus.

"He's good to go," she said, beckoning the dog's owner closer. "Just make sure to keep giving him those antibiotics twice a day for one week. And if you need to get a hold of me, you have my number"

"Thank you so much. We sure do appreciate it."

"My pleasure."

The dog's owner grabbed the leash and lead the dog toward the door. A tall man held the door open. Her heart skipped a beat. Ame. The dog whimpered, tucking his tail between his legs as his owner dragged him outside. Ame walked in.

Be cool, be cool, be cool. "Hello, Ame." Okay, too cool. "How's my favorite patient?" Ugh, even worse. She felt her face grow warm. Great.

He walked towards her, his mouth stretching into that crooked smile. "Good. You?"

"Better now." Shit. Did she really just say that out loud? Her face was burning hot now. "I mean, uh, I'm good. Really good." This was hopeless. "How's the leg feeling?"

His lips were tight, like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Great. All thanks to you."

She patted the examining table. "Here, let me take a look at it."

Ame stretched his leg out, rolling up his pants. "Got some better clothes."

"Thank god."

"Belonged to an old dead guy."

Emi frowned, her brows knitting together. "Oh."

Ame looked confused. "He was dead before I took them."

Was that supposed to be comforting? "Oh," she said again. Hopefully this wasn't some sort of serial killer red flag. Maybe he was a forest hermit with terrible social skills. Yeah, right. All she knew for sure was that Ame was strange. But his stupid eyes and his stupid smile were doing a number on her better judgment.

"See, all better." He pointed at the puckered pink skin around the stitches.

She looked closely, running a gloved finger over the raised line. "Yeah, looks like it's healing nicely. No bleeding, and no sign of infection." She looked up at his face. "You still don't want to tell me what happened?"

He smiled. "Already told you. Hunting accident."

She narrowed her eyes. "Right. But what happened? Like, how exactly did you end up with a bullet in your leg?"

"Friend shot me by mistake." He shrugged, like it happened everyday. "Didn't want him to get into trouble."

Well...that wasn't too far fetched. Maybe he was telling her the truth. And would it kill him to use a full sentence?

He pushed his pant leg back down before shooting her another smile. "You're really cute when you do that."

"Do wha—cute? Did you just say, say cute?" She didn't know it was possible for her face to get this hot.

"When you concentrate. You stick out the tip of your tongue."

She did?

Ame stood up. "Any more patients today?"

"Uh, n-n-no." She pulled off her gloves. "That was my last appointment."

"I'm getting you dinner." Not a question, a statement. She liked it.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"How's rabbit sound?"

She laughed at his joke. It was a joke, right? "There's a little place I like a few blocks from here. Want to try it?"

That crooked grin was going to be the death of her. "Lead the way."

~oOo~

Smells of spices and roasting meats. Smells of warm bodies and loud conversation. Smells of those who had sat in the vinyl restaurant booth before him. Layers upon layers of smells. Honestly, it was overwhelming. And yet, every time he looked at Emi, seated across from him, all he was aware of was her. The way her short black hair fell around her rosey cheeks. The way the corners of her eyes crinkled when she smiled.

"The ramen here is to die for!" she said.

Ame flipped through the menu, feeling so out of place. " So, how does this work?"

"Well, you order food, they bring you food, you pay for food," she spoke each word slowly, teasing him.

Ame didn't smile.

"Oh god!" she said, hand pressed against her mouth. "Are you serious?"

Ame gave her an ashamed smile.

"You've never been to a restaurant before?"

He shrugged.

"This is like going on a date with the little fucking mermaid."

He shrugged again.

Her hand sliced the air right above her head. "That reference went right over your head, didn't it?"

"You're adorable."

Her hand froze above her head, and her cheeks flushed a deep red. "A-a-a-dora…."

He smiled. He liked it better when she was the flustered one.

"Well...uh, I think that, that, you're adorable." She attempted to take a sip of water, but her lips kept missing the straw.

"Yeah?"

Her mouth found the straw.

Ame tensed. He knew that scent, sweat and—

"Em! I was hoping I'd find you here." The same hunter from the forest slid in the booth beside Emi. He stuck his hand in front of Ame's face. "Hiro."

Ame glared at him the way an alpha wolf glared at its subordinates.

Hiro pulled his hand back, awkwardly running it through his hair.

"Hiro, what a pleasant surprise," Emi said, eyes narrowed. _I'm on a date_ , she not so discreetly mouthed to Hiro.

Hiro pretended not to notice. "Em, I was in the forest yesterday, and I found a wolf!"

Emi dropped her menu, nearly jumping up with excitement, while Ame choked, coughing hard.

Hiro held up his arm, revealing two puncture wounds. "It attacked me!"

Red hot anger burned behind Ame's eyes. He curled his fingers into fists, longing for his claws. "You were the one pointing a gun." He spat his words through gritted teeth.

Emi shot him a strange look, eyebrows raised.

"Is that a question?" Hiro said, looking confused.

Ame continued to glare at him.

"Well, to answer your question, I guess, yes, of course I had a gun. I was out hunting."

Emi sucked in a deep breath. "Please tell me you didn't shoot it."

"Don't worry, Em," Hiro said, patting her hand. Ame nearly growled. "I only got it in the leg. Lousy shot."

Emi heaved a sigh of relief.

"Don't forget the best part of the story," Ame said, never breaking eye contact with Hiro. "The part when you passed out."

Hiro turned to Emi. "Is this guy crazy?"

Emi stared at Ame. "Possibly."

"Whatever. And I didn't passed out. My memory's real foggy, but I made it back to my tent somehow."

"A miracle," Ame said, still glaring.

Hiro shifted uncomfortably. "You know what, Em, I'll catch you later." He rose to his feet, nodding at Ame. "It was, uh, nice to meet you." He walked away without waiting to hear Ame's reply.

Emi whipped around to face Ame. "What the hell was that?"

"He a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, kind of." She looked at Ame uncertainly.

Okay, so Emi probably found his behavior...odd. Change the topic, Ame. "So, a wolf, huh?"

Her face instantly brightened. "A wolf with a bad leg couldn't have gotten far. We might still be able to find it!"

"Probably got farther than you think," he said. "And that's a bad idea. It's a wolf, not an injured bunny."

Emi shook her head. "I have to try, though. This is the best chance I have at getting a fresh blood sample from a local wolf."

Blood sample? Sounded painful.

"Hey, you said you live in the forest, right?"

Ame nodded. He didn't like where this was going.

"So you know it really well?"

"Better than anyone."

She pressed her palms together. "Then you've gotta help me! I'll get lost by myself for sure."

"I can't talk you out of this, can I?" he said with a sigh.

She smiled and shook her head.

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Fine. I owe you anyways."


	3. Chapter 3

The door swung open before Ame had even lifted his hand to knock. Emi tumbled out of her house, tripping over her own feet and crashing into Ame. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"And she sticks the landing?" Emi said.

Ame smiled, her familiar scent surrounding him. Despite her freshly showered hair, the smell of cat, dog, and (of course) chicken, clung to her. He liked the sudden proximity.

Emi stepped back, face growing red. "Sorry!"

"Don't be," Ame said.

"I'm just so excited!" Emi said, her rapid fire words jumbling into one sentence: "This might be the best day of my life years ago I thought wolves had gone extinct in Japan but then people started reporting wolf howling around here and now here I am with you about to find a wolf an actual real life wolf oh god what is my life right now am I dreaming seriously is this just a dream?" She began to tip over with the weight of her massive backpack.

Ame laughed and took her backpack, tossing and catching it. It probably weighed as much as Emi did. "What the hell is in this thing?"

"Equipment," she said, snatching the backpack away from him.

Ame shuddered, picturing some very sharp needles.

"Always carry an excessive amount of medical supplies. Pretty sure the Buddha said that," Emi said, giggling.

Ame forced a laugh, his heart racing like a cornered rabbit. This was a bad idea. He had known it was a bad idea since he had promised Emi he would help her last week. The plan (if he could even call it that) was simple enough. Lead Emi far enough away from town. Sneak away, change into a wolf, let her get her stupid blood sample, change back. No biggie, right?

"You ready?" he said.

Even her nodding was enthusiastic, like a crazed bobble head. He couldn't help but smile.

He took a shaky breath. "Let's do this."

~oOo~

Emi was no stranger to the great outdoors. Hiking, camping, birdwatching (hey, she was bored, okay?), you name it, she'd done it all. But the way Ame moved through the forest, each step confident, graceful, made her feel like a real novice.

A branch snapped. "Wolf!" she yelled.

Ame shook his head. "Squirrel."

Dry leaves rustled. "Wolf!" she yelled.

"Squirrel."

Another branch snapped.

"Still just a squirrel," Ame said quickly.

"I was going to say tree octopus," she said.

He didn't laugh. Not even the barest hint of a smile. Admittedly, it was a lame joke (most of her jokes were lame at best), but something was off about Ame. In these few weeks that she'd known Ame for, he smiled easily and laughed often, even at stupid things like the way her nose crinkled when she sneezed. But this Ame, this Ame was a total stranger. Lips pressed tight, eyes darting back and forth. She could almost see the anxiety rolling off of him.

She stopped abruptly. She was following a man she barely knew into the forest, a man apparently prone to extreme personality shifts. For all she knew, he might as well be a serial killer.

"You okay?" He was by her side, eyes wide with concern. Those brown eyes that turned her legs into overcooked noodles. There was no way those eyes belonged to a serial killer. And she just needed to accept the fact that her life was not a Lifetime movie. "Emi?"

She smiled at him, the fake kind that showed way too much teeth. Something was troubling Ame. If only she could figure out what. "Just had to tie my shoes."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're wearing boots. With zippers."

She tried to fight the heat rushing to her cheeks. "Come on, let's just keep moving."

Ame gave her a long, hard look before resuming the hike.

~oOo~

At this point, Ame was confident that they were far enough away from town. All the way out here, there wasn't a chance they'd run into any unsuspecting hikers. And yet, he continued to lead Emi deeper into the forest. He was stalling, he knew that. He stopped walking. He needed to do this. This was it. 'Show time', as Emi liked to say, usually before sticking her hand down a choking dog's throat. Or a choking cat. Or a choking chicken. Now that he really thought about it, there were a lot of animals choking around here, huh?

He shook his head. He was stalling again. He was acting like a scared little puppy. He was a wolf, dammit, and he needed to start acting like it.

"Hey, Emi," he said.

She gave him a funny look, like she was trying to solve a tricky puzzle. She was definitely concentrating hard— the tip of her tongue was even sticking out. "Yeah?"

"I, uh," he started, pausing. "I need to...pee."

"Gotta squeeze the old lemon, eh?" she said, immediately covering her reddening face with her hands.

If he wasn't so damn nervous, he would've started laughing. Hard. Instead, he ducked behind some bushes. He sucked in a shuddering breath and counted to ten. Twice. He willed his human form to melt away, the comfort of his wolf-half enveloping him. Okay. He could do this. His tail lashed nervously.

He lifted a paw, put it down, lifted a paw, put it down, walking mechanically toward Emi's crouched form. He didn't want to sneak up on her. He rustled some leaves to get her attention.

Emi whipped around, eyes widening like a flower opening its petals. Her hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to muffle the squeal that escaped her.

Ame froze, afraid that even the slightest twitch would send Emi running. He tried to imagine what Emi saw right now. An fascinating specimen? An intimidating beast?

"Ame…," she whispered.

He trembled. So she knew.

"...Ame, where are you?"

He let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Of course she didn't know it was him.

He stared at her, willing her to do whatever researcher thing she had come here to do. He just wanted it over with.

Emi slowly, slowly reached into her pocket. Here it was.

"Sorry, buddy," Emi said, lifting whatever was in her hand.

Ame heard a small pop and felt something prick his side. He turned to examine it, head suddenly feeling very heavy.

"You're gonna just take a little nap, okay?" Emi said, her voice sounding miles away. "Just a mild sedative, it won't hurt you, bud."

Mild seda-what? His paws were melting into the ground, the forest spinning like kaleidoscope colors, his anxiety, his every thought, drifting away like dandelion fluff on a warm breeze.

~oOo~

Holy shit. She had an actual, real life wolf right in front of her. A massive, beautiful, freaking wolf.

Okay. She needed to quit marveling and get to work. The sedative only lasted for so long.

She hesitated for only a moment before kneeling down and parting its thick fur. She reached for her syringe and felt the wolf twitch beneath her hand. She turned back around, glass vial falling from her hand and shattering. The wolf was changing. She stared, transfixed, as claws lengthened into fingers, as smooth pale skin replaced fur.

She stared and stared and stared, her mouth opening and closing like an unhinged door. She stared some more. The wolf at her feet was now...was now...Ame? The wolf was Ame? No. Yes? No, no, no, impossible. But...but this _was_ Ame. With her tranquilizer dart stuck into his side. His naked side.

The world was spinning, her head a balloon threatening to burst. She had always assumed fainting was a movie cliche, but here she was, relaxing into unconsciousness like a warm hug.

~oOo~

The first thing Ame was aware of was the pounding in his head. The next thing he noticed was an annoying sting in his side. He reached to scratch at it, and froze. A dart. A dart with a fluffy red end was sticking out of his side. He pulled it out, rolling it between his fingers.

He remembered walking towards Emi, and then...and then...nothing.

He dropped the dart. She had shot him with a tranquilizer dart. A fucking tranquilizer dart. And he had somehow shifted back in front of her. How could he have been so stupid? What had he expected Emi to do? Just walk up to a wild animal and stick it with a needle? Of course she would use a tranquilizer.

He pushed himself to his feet. There she was, hugging her knees to her chest. He took a few unsteady steps toward her. Her eyes looked glassy, staring at everything and nothing at once.

"Emi?" he whispered, voice hoarse.

She jumped, scuttling backwards like a manic crab. She raised a trembling finger. "You're a-a-a w-wolf."

Ame coughed, his throat sticking together. "Yeah, um...werewolf."

Emi just gave him that vacant stare.

Ame took another step forward. Emi recoiled so violently that her head knocked against the tree trunk behind her.

Waves of dizzying nausea hit him, the pounding in his head intensifying. She was scared. Of him. He could taste the sharp tang of her fear.

The trees were closing in. He had to go. Anywhere but here.

Two legs became four as he tore through the forest, not knowing where he was going, and not caring either.

~oOo~

"Ame?" she called. "Ame!"

He was gone. He just turned into a wolf and ran off. Nothing strange about that. People turned into animals all the time. She forced back the hysterical laughter threatening to erupt.

Ame was the wolf. The wolf was Ame. And now he was gone. And she was alone. Lost. In the middle of the forest. Night would be setting in soon.

She had watched a show in which the main character had looked to the Big Dipper to guide him home. But the massive trees completely obscured the sky, and in all honesty, she could barely tell the North Star from the moon.

She was screwed. And Ame was a wolf. She sunk back down to the soft earth. Ame was a wolf. The laughter tore through her in shuddering convulsions. Ame was a wolf.

~oOo~

Ame let the simplicity of the wolf's mind ease his racing thoughts. Nothing mattered except for the forest beneath his paws, the scents hanging in the air. If he was thirsty, he'd drink. If he was hungry, he'd eat. If was tired, he'd rest. That was it. It didn't matter that he'd left Emi. Alone. Defenseless. In a forest she didn't know.

Shit. He needed to go back. Now. Scared of him or not, he needed to protect her.

He made a sharp turn, looping around without slowing down. He was coming, Emi.

~oOo~

A twig snapped. Someone was coming.

"Ame?" Emi said.

"Em?" Hiro stepped out from the shadows. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

He adjusted the rifle slung across his back. "I'm gonna get that wolf."


	4. Chapter 4

It was all too much. The crazed look in Hiro's bloodshot eyes. The panicked bird calls. The growing darkness, its tentacles sliding, tightening around her. Each breath shallow, insufficient. She was suffocating, the world closing in, caving in, and all she could do was tumble backwards, deeper and deeper, further and further away.

But Hiro's words reached out to her, and she grabbed at the rope they created, clung to them as they pulled her up, up, up, back onto the rough forest ground.

"You're here to do _what_?" she said.

Hiro was growing impatient. "I'm. Gonna. Get. That. Wolf."

She still wasn't following. She ran his words through his mind, desperate to decipher their meaning. Get the wolf? As in...she glanced at the gun slung across him. As in... _get_ the wolf. As in...as in... _Ame_. The trees began to spin again. No no no no. Ame.

Hiro eyed her nervously, something shifting within him. "Em, you're seriously starting to freak me out," he said, stepping towards her. "What the hell is going on?"

It was at this point that Emi first noticed the way Hiro's words slurred together, the way he swayed slightly, even just standing there. _Drunk_ , a voice inside her whispered.

The trees were still spinning, Hiro's face was spinning, but she forced herself to focus. Ame was in danger. Ame, the man with a crooked smile. Ame, the man who was also a wolf.

"No," she whispered.

"Em?" Hiro said, stepping closer.

"No," she said. "NO. NO. NO."

"Em?" he repeated, voice shrinking.

"Why the fuck did you come to the forest at night to hunt a wolf?" She was close enough now to smell the stench of booze on his breath. " _My_ wolf."

"Woah there, Em. Relax," he said, still swaying slightly. "I'm out here camping with the boys again. Problem is, they don't seem to believe me about the wolf attack." He unconsciously rubbed his arm.

"So you're here to prove it." She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes.

Maybe there was some truth to her countless made-for-television movies. Maybe life really was full of one-dimensional villains, villains operating on the stupidest of motives, complicating a situation already complicated enough without them.

Or maybe she just needed to focus.

The problem: Hiro. Very, very drunk Hiro.

The solution: to be determined.

~oOo~

Ame was flying, no longer sure, no longer caring, if his paws made contact with ground. He was imagining a million worst-case scenarios, all of them involving a hysterical Emi calling out to him before meeting her demise. He should have been feeling the pulsing ache in his leg, the sharp sting of branches piercing his pelt. But all he could feel was the fear in Emi's eyes when she saw him, really saw him, and it rippled around him, little waves lapping at his feet, quickly rising until just his head can break the surface. And yet he keeps going, deeper and deeper. She needs him. And then he smells it. That contemptible blend of booze and sweat, gunpowder and arrogance. _Hiro_ , he says to himself, the name filling the air around him. Then the wind shifts, and he can smell her too, sharp with fear, spiky with defense. No. He's moving faster now, out of control, like someone toppling down a steep hill.

Emi. Emi. Emi. He repeats it like a chant, a tether, each utterance pulling him closer, closer.

He explodes into the clearing, sliding to a jolting halt, body already coiled, ready to spring into flight once more.

They slowly, slowly turn to face him. Emi's eyes seem to plead with him, larger, they seem, than the moon itself.

Hiro shifts ever so slightly, ever so stealthily. Ame can see it, of course, he can, presently, see everything. Like the way Emi is inching towards her strewn backpack. Like the way Hiro's hands ease the gun into position, the way his finger curls around the trigger, the way sweat beads on his upper lip, even though it's dark out now, even though the cool night air chills Ame through his fur.

And still Ame seems to be moving faster than them, Emi still inching backward, Hiro still inching forward. And still Ame seems to be moving faster as the trigger is yanked back, as the bullet spirals through the air. He sidesteps it easily, the bullet burying itself in the tree behind him.

Emi screams, the sound piercing him, breaking whatever trance he had been under. Time lurches forward in a dizzying twirl. Suddenly Hiro's finger is on the trigger. Suddenly Ame is striding towards him. Hiro's finger falters. Ame lunges forward. The trigger is pulled. Ame twists his body as he launches himself forward. Deja vu. Ame's side exploding in pain. Ame's teeth sinking into flesh. Hiro's strangled screams.

Something slices through the air. Hiro sways. Stumbles. Crumples to the ground.

And then Emi is rushing forward, saying something, saying a lot of things. Wasted words, drown out by the pounding in his ears. His eyes turn to Hiro, to his teeth still clamped around Hiro's arm. Red. Red blood. Red...dart?

His jaw finally goes slack and Ame releases his arm. Turns to look at her. This time, she meets his eyes.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Yikes, can't believe I've neglected this story for two years. Also just noticed how similar Ame's and Emi's names are..._

 _Thanks for reading this very dramatic chapter. Looking forward to writing future chapters with more quality Ame and Emi interaction :)_

 _And thank you for all of the reviews, I appreciate you guys!_


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